1971 OSSA 175 Stiletto

71 Stiletto 175

Al Snoop came across this gem. He said the 175’s were not so common, sent me pictures, and we made a deal. It was very rusty and the top end was missing, exposing the crank to the weather. When we got it apart, it was the worst transmission we’d ever seen! But I had a small inventory of engine stuff, found a used crank (175 rods are different) and Snoop helped me with the rest. I was also lucky to find original handlebars and tires – OSSA always had a unique shape to their bars and a narrow clamp area. Knobby tires were Pirellis (MT07), common for bikes from Spain.

The 175 also had a different paint color, kind of a silver/blue – difficult to match! I’m very fortunate to have a body shop in the family – I do the repairs and prep, Walt Ropka does a great job of matching and spraying! I also take care of the striping – paint and decals – then Walt finishes the job with satin gloss clear – more authentic!